Come Clean
by Arisadonna
Summary: On a rainy day, Kukai seeks shelter in the Royal Garden, but ends up finding a little surprise he never would have expected. One-shot. Shounen-Ai. SPOILERS.


The first Shugo Chara! story I've written and the first shounen-ai story as well. This was just something I decided to take a shot at one day to see how it'd turn out. **Note: Spoilers regarding the characters is featured in this story**. So, unless you're up to date with the manga up to at least volume four, you may be in for a bit of a surprise. Enjoy the story, dears.

**COME CLEAN**

He ran through the grass, knowing it would be much faster than going through the pathway. Ignoring those silly "do not step on the grass" signs, he used the back of his shirt to pull over his head, shading it from the rain. It was obviously futile, seeing as how he was still getting just as wet, but he supposed it was just done on instinct. It didn't matter much though. Right now, he just needed some shelter. And he knew the nearest building was the Royal Garden.

It was late in the day already. He had skipped the usual tea time, due to soccer practice. But even with the extra time, he had stayed longer than he expected. And by the time he caught the clock, the rain clouds were already overhead.

It wasn't that big of a deal though. He'd just go to the garden, and use its phone to call up his father to pick him up, so he wouldn't have to walk home in the rain. Not that it really mattered. He liked the rain, after all, ironically more so than the sun, which might have not been expected from a guy with his character.

Running right then, he almost just stopped in his tracks to simply lay down on the grass and simply allow the drops to hit his face, watching the dark clouds over head. But he didn't. His mother would probably complain that he had went ahead and acted reckless, taking the risk of getting sick. So for today, it was probably just best to go home as dry as he possibly could—not that he was dry at all anyway, but what could he say about mothers?

Finally approaching the building, he pulled open the garden's doors and rushed inside. "Whoo!" He exclaimed, in relief, shivering slightly from the cold water which had soaked him from head to toe. Pulling off his shirt, he wrung it in attempts to try to rid it from the water, but no matter how much he attempted, it was still soaked.

"Damn, guess I'll just have to wait until I get home," he thought outloud, whipping his shirt onto his bare shoulder as he walked through the gardens to the back rooms. He knew there were towels in there, and for now, he could at least dry himself up just slightly, even if he'd probably end up getting soaked yet again when he had to rush out to his father's car. Either way, there was a phone in the back room, and the sooner he phoned, the better. This water was freezing, and he could really use a hot shower instead.

But as he approached the back room, he could hear a sound which possibly seemed like a rustling of clothes, but he couldn't quite tell. The door had been cracked open, so he tiptoed closer to it, pushing it just slightly more open, so he could catch a peek at whatever was going on instead. Almost immediately he caught sight of that all-too familiar long violet hair.

Kukai's face grew red, catching sight of Nadeshiko's bare back. It was his first time seeing a naked girl, and he knew he probably should step away and wait until she came out. But for some reason, he couldn't avert his eyes. He became entranced by the simple sight of her soft, light skin, and the way her hair rested along her back.

He blushed a little harder when he saw her pull down her underwear, seeing her bare bottom in his clear view. Now was probably definitely the best time to look away. But he still couldn't. He almost wanted to reach out and rest his hands on her skin, just to see exactly how soft she was.

It was probably then that Kukai saw the most shocking sight of his life, just as Nadeshiko turned slightly, so that there was a clearer view of her frontal area. The first thing he spotted was her chest—flat, as expected of such a young girl, but probably too flat. He had already noticed Amu forming two bumps, and even Yaya was probably catching up, as well. But completely distracted by her chest, it took a moment before Kukai's eyes went down lower to the rest of Nadeshiko's body.

And there it is. Something Nadeshiko definitely shouldn't have had. Or at least what Kukai was sure she shouldn't have had. If Nadeshiko had been a she, anyway. But what Kukai saw definitely proved otherwise.

With such surprise, Kukai couldn't hold back from the gasp he gave out, causing Nadeshiko to give a jolt and look up, noticing he had no longer been alone. Seeing he had been caught, Kukai stammered with his words. "I, uh ... um ... I-I-I'm sorry!" He finally shouted out, turning on his head, immediately rushing to the front doors of the garden.

He couldn't understand it. He had known Nadeshiko for years now and through all that time, Kukai was sure he had known who "she" was. She had been the queen of the Guardians, hadn't she? She had been the one to take care of the rest of them even if she was just their age, hadn't she? She had been like his best friend though all this time, _hadn't she_?

But he knew the truth now. After all, he may have had his moments, but he wasn't entirely stupid. He knew the difference between males and females in that department, and knew for sure girls didn't have those things. So if Nadeshiko did happen to have that same thing he did ... it had all been a lie, hadn't it?

No, no. He refused to believe it. It couldn't be true. This was someone he trusted; someone he thought he had known so well; someone he thought he could have _loved_. But that couldn't be now, could it?

He rushed to the front door and took hold of the handle. However, he just couldn't turn it. He was prepared to step outside and just walk home in the rain, no matter what his mother said. But his fingers couldn't continue to move. They just wouldn't.

"Kukai," came a voice from behind, and there was no doubt about who he was. His fingers were still on the handle, unmoving, but he turned his body slightly to face his friend. She was fully clothed now, staring at him with a saddened look in her eyes, but—could he still think of her as a she? That wasn't who she was anymore. She was a _boy_.

"Sorry, I just need to get home soon. My mother's probably worried," he whispered, trying to think of something else to say, not sure how he could discuss any of this. But it was obvious that there was something wrong now, seeing as how Kukai never actually referred to his mother as "mother" and just used "mom" or something, without saying it so grown-up-y. Not like it wasn't already known about Kukai—how could he _not_ be in shock after what he just saw?

"Of course," Nadeshiko whispered in reply, putting on that usual calm smile she had been known for. Gosh, it killed him—that smile. Kukai loved that smile. It had been just that smile that had made him want to reach out and hug her, just to hold her for what could be hours; maybe even kiss her, if even for a split second. It was what made him consider so many times in his day that maybe he could love her. Even if he was just a young boy, he could have already found that person he knew he could always be in love with. That smile—it really did kill him. Now more than ever.

Yet this time, he saw there was sadness in it. It was obvious Nadeshiko hadn't meant to lie. He knew her too well. Male or female, Kukai knew that he knew her. And that wouldn't change. But ... could he really come to see her as a boy? Even in his mind, right now, she was still a "she", even if he knew otherwise.

And he knew the basic idea. Girls love boys, boys love girls. How could a boy love another boy?

He swallowed hard, not being able to speak, but he knew he had to choke out something. "I-I, uh ... I should go now," he said, turning once more to the door. Again, he couldn't turn the handle. Something was holding him back. He needed to leave, he knew he did, yet he couldn't. He couldn't just leave her now. Wouldn't that mean giving up on her? Could he really do that?

It didn't really matter whether he could turn the handle or not anymore, seeing as how he wasn't the one to make the move. In a split second, he felt arms wrap around his body, and a head rest against his back. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry," he heard whispered countless times.

If the smile hadn't killed him, this certainly did. His face grew to be a dark shade of red, as his heart began to beat faster. He was sure it'd be certainly impossible for Nadeshiko not to feel this, and just wanted it to stop immediately, but the more he thought about it, the more his heart raced. And it almost seemed like Nadeshiko wouldn't ever let go.

"You're ... a boy?" he managed to ask, though it had already been pretty obvious by now. But what else could he say?

"Yes." Well, Nadeshiko sure didn't seem to hesitate with an answer. And that was it. Nadeshiko was a boy. Nadeshiko was a _he_. It was no use to keep thinking in his mind otherwise. Kukai needed to accept that.

But even knowing this, his heart just beat harder and his mind just spun faster. Even knowing his good friend had been a boy all this time, his feelings weren't changing. He still felt that need to hug him, to hold him, to just kiss him, even if it killed him. Maybe it was even stronger now than before.

And what did being a boy matter? Who cared what society said about "boy loves girl, girl loves boy"? To hell with those ideas.

The only thing that went though his mind right now was this feeling he couldn't deny. He was still shirtless then, and could feel the touch of Nadeshiko's cheek on his bare back, along with the soft breaths moving along his skin. He was still wet from the rain, but he certainly wasn't feeling cold, and with every second, the heat just grew stronger.

"Nadeshiko," he whispered out. There was no answer, but Kukai could still tell he was listening, and continued. "I love you."

Immediately, the head on his back lifted, and he could sense there was some shock in that. "But I--"

Kukai removed the hands from around him and turned around, taking Nadeshiko's face in his face and pulling him into a kiss. It was simple; quick. Nothing too deep, really, but the feeling was still there.

Nadeshiko stared at him as he pulled away, probably in a whirl of confusion at this point. Not that you could blame him. This probably hadn't quite been the reaction he had expected. "I'm a boy."

"I don't care."

"I lied to you."

"I don't care."

Silence now. Nadeshiko stared at him with blinking eyes, and then moved himself closer. "And if I loved you too?"

There was a knot in Kukai's throat now. He hadn't quite expected for that to be heard. After all, Nadeshiko always knew they were both boys the whole time, obviously. Could a love between two boys work?

Whatever the answer, that was something Kukai really didn't bother thinking about. Male or female, he loved Nadeshiko. It had always been there for years, and it wasn't any use to try denying it after so long. Especially with hearing that he loved him too. "Now with _that_, I do care," he whispered, kissing him once more.

And so, as the rain pounded on the roof of the garden, a new romance was developed unexpectedly between two boys. Whether or not they told the rest of their friends Nadeshiko's secret or even their relationship didn't matter. Age or gender didn't matter either with this love. Of course, there was still other concerns.

Pulling away from their kiss, Nadeshiko gave a grin. Kukai blinked. "What?"

"You saw me naked, didn't you?"

There was silence for a while before Kukai's face grew very crimson. "That was ... eh, well ... just a ... little ... um ..."

Nadeshiko continued to grin, chuckling slightly. "Well ... would you like another peek?"

That topped it off. Kukai's heart might've exploded right then. "E-e-eh! I'mgoinghomenowbye!" Kukai spoke in a fast tone, turning on his heel. This time, he had no trouble turning the handle of the front door and immediately rushed out back into the rain.

"Hey! Kukaaaaai! Waaaait! I was just kidding, you idiot!" Nadeshiko shouted, chasing after the boy.

This would be an interesting new romance, indeed.

**END.**

There you have it. Review if you wish. :3


End file.
